


crush

by allucinoctis



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Gay, Gay Male Character, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Romance, Second Base, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 09:09:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15726339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allucinoctis/pseuds/allucinoctis
Summary: you didn't think you'd ever fall for a son of hades, but then nico di angelo dropped into your life.he was, no pun intended, hotter than hell.needless to say, having your first teenage crush is not like the movies; but who's to say you won't at least try?





	crush

**Author's Note:**

> i haven't written pjo in actual cENTURIES 
> 
> i noticed the genuine lack of nico x male!reader's so here y'all go <3
> 
> (btw pls listen to this cute ass song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPRPw6_aacg as you read !!)

* * *

 

He stood out, to say the least.  
  
It wasn't like he flashed neon hues and demanded attention.  
  
If anything, it was a lack thereof.  
  
The hum and chatter of your table conjoin into a quiet buzz as your gaze slips to the solitary brunette. It's only been your first week here and he's already captured your attention  _(although, _Name_. let's be real, there is a plethora of hot guys here)._  This was the first time you had seen him in the flesh, since everyone you asked simply said that he keeps to himself.  
  
"Hey, Alex?" you poke your cabin mate, who's animatedly conversing with the rest of the table while wolfing down pancakes. "Why is that table always empty?"  
  
She turns her attention to the table you're gesturing to. "You mean the Hades table?"  
  
Furrowing your eyebrows, you say, " _That's_  the Hades table?"  
  
"Well, yeah," the blonde shifts in her seat, "isn't it obvious? Dark and lonely, just like the god of the Underworld?"  
  
She shakes her head a little. "Why do you ask anyway?"  
  
The new knowledge jogs your memory. "I'm sure Hades has a son here, in the camp. I heard about him . . . Nick something . . ."  
  
There's an amused chuckle from the girl before she corrects you. "It's Nico di Angelo, (Name). He's a pretty reserved guy so don't expect to see him often." With that, she whirls her head around, back to her previous conversation.  
  
Other than that and  _"the guy's weird, I recommend avoiding him"_ , you haven't heard much about this son of Hades. But the little that you do know certainly matches his appearance. His dark, tousled hair and his olive complexion (not to mention his name), clearly indicate his Italian ancestry. There's a grunge look to his dress — from the aviator jacket to his black jeans, this guy looks as if he's still not over My Chemical Romance's split.   
  
It seems he noticed your glare, as the demigod stiffens and moves his head.   
  
Faster than lightning, your shift your eyes back to your breakfast, all of a sudden intrigued by your crispy hash browns. Just to be safe, you keep your eyes down until you finish your plate.   
  
Slowly, you sneak a glance at the Hades table. To your shock, he's sitting bolt upright, brown eyes staring right back at you. You're transfixed, struggling to break eye contact. You realise this is the first time you've seen his full face, and you gotta admit, he's a cutie.  
  
You're not one for 'love at first sight', but this emo boy has you interested. His scowl endears you for some reason, along with the aggressive edge to his stature. His face soon transforms into a blank expression.  
  
To your relief/disappointment, Nico stands and almost stomps off, right out of the dining hall.  
  
You note his plate reflecting the table's emptiness.

*    *    *

The second time you see Nico (who you have now deemed your honorary  _crush_ ) is completely in rushed passing.  
  
As usual, you were running late to wall climbing with the satyrs (in your defense, they never give out exact timings) and, of course, you weren't paying a shred of attention to your surroundings. As your mind was elsewhere and your feet hurriedly moving, you didn't quite catch the fact that you bumped straight into someone, knocking the both of you to the floor.  
  
Suddenly, your mind begins functioning like normal and you jolt awake. Without even registering who specifically you bumped into, you help them up and begin a sincere apology.  
  
" _Fuck_ , I'm so sorry, I should have been more careful—"  
  
Your gaze meets with the same mahogany eyes you locked with just last week.  
  
It's Nico.  
  
_This feels like a scene from a shitty rom-com_ , you mentally note.   
  
Confounded, you struggle to speak. "Uh, um . . . it was an accident, I didn't— I mean, I  _wasn't_ —" You're blinking rapidly and your cheeks are blazing hot; you may as well have 'smitten' etched on your forehead.  
  
Within this close proximity, you can observe the son of Hades more efficiently. His skin is a warm tan and light freckles are adorned across his nose and cheeks. His mahogany ( _or maybe burnt sienna_ , you muse) eyes are framed with long, thick eyelashes, prettier than any beauty guru's you've seen. They remind you of sandalwood and cosy fires, though you guess that's not the vibe he's going for. His lips are a pale pink and, surprisingly enough, look well moisturised ( _what lip balm does he use?_ ). Unfortunately, you allow your mind to wander off, envisioning your lips pressed against his in a warm kiss, your arms wrapped around one another as, between lip-locks, you whisper—  
  
"You're super cute." you blurt, out of your own accord. Nico raises an eyebrow, face expressionless.  
  
Shaking your head, you attempt to rephrase yourself, "I mean,  _cool_. Your whole  _aesthetic_  is super  _cool_."  
  
Upon no change in Nico's expression, you ramble on. "Y'know, the all-black, 12-year-old emo phase thing you got going on? Like you listen to Green Day and My Chemical Romance? I wish I owned your aviator jacket — I think it looks great, I could never pull it off like you do."  
  
The tiniest smile pulls at the corner of his lips as he replies, "Thanks."  
  
_Fuck! What I wouldn't do to get him to scream my name with that voice._  You cringe at your inner thoughts, although you make no attempt to deny them.  
  
An awkward silence ensues.   
  
. . . until you stick your hand out. "I'm _Name_, by the way. I'm from the _godly parent_ cabin."  
  
Nico nods and slowly shakes your hand, before asking, "You're new, right?"  
  
Feeling a potential conversation coming along, you cheerfully say, "Yeah! I arrived over a week ago. You've probably seen me at breakfast quite a few times . . ."  
  
You nervously chuckle and search his face for any possible recognition but all you find is a tilted head and slightly squinted eyes. Then they flash as he confirms, "I think I have, last week Thursday."  
  
"Yeah, you kinda caught me staring at you like a fool." A hot crimson flushes your cheeks as you feel increasingly embarrassed. Another awkward silence ensues, and you mentally scold yourself for your horrible social skills.  
  
Luckily, you're saved by an urgent shout. "_ _Name__!"  
  
You whirl round to the voice calling you; it's one of the Ares kids. More specifically, it's Seth, the one you share your wall climbing class with. He looks immensely frustrated.  
  
"Where've you been, dude?" He jogs up to you, not even glancing at Nico, who's presented no reaction so far. "The satyrs have been getting on my ass looking for you! You knew we had class, right?"  
  
"Uh . . ." your eyes dart between Seth and Nico as you're unsure how to proceed. Technically, satyrs weren't too bothered about who should show up or not. This one kid from the Hypnos cabin literally never turned up since you first got here and as far as you knew, they were enjoying the comfiest (and longest) sleep of their lives. Besides, you scored a one-on-one conversation with your beautiful crush; who were you to turn that down? Plus, you're no stranger to skipping class. Back in normal public high school, you were so quiet and unnoticed that you regularly didn't bother even going to school. The few days that you would show up, no one even observed you were gone.  
  
Right when you're about to answer, Nico begins walking off, sensing that the conversation maybe didn't involve him. Desperate not to lose him, you hurriedly say, "Yeah, man, don't wait up for me." to Seth and dash after the son of Hades.  
  
He looks like he's waling back to his cabin, which is on the other side of camp so you figure you have plenty of talking time. Jogging up beside him, you casually say, " **Sei italiano?** " (1)  
  
Looking up then making surprised eye contact with you, Nico replies, " **Tu parli italiano?** " (2) The small smile that lights up his features has a similar effect on your heart. " . . .  **e si. Sono.** " (3)

  
You return the grin. " **Conosco qualche. Il condominio in cui sono cresciuto aveva molti italiani,** so I guess I picked some up here and there." (4) You're slightly insecure with your Italian since not only do you have an obvious American accent when you speak it, but the grammar was always confusing. "Sorry, I probably fucked that up—"  
  
"No, no, no." Nico immediately intercepts. "Your pronunciation is quite good. You have a bit of an accent but I can still understand." Judging by the starstruck look in his eyes, he wants to gush out how happy you just made him but he holds back.  
  
You want to hint at hanging out more, so you airily chuckle and say, " **Grazie!** (5) Maybe you could help me get rid of it sometime?"  
  
The Italian squints his eyes and tilts his head, similar to when he was trying to recognise you. "You just wanna hang out with me, don't you?"  
  
Sheepishly, you shrug. " **Forse?** But, **naturalmente,** only if you want to **.** " (6)   
  
Again, he raises his eyebrow.  
  
"I mean, to be honest, I  _did_  miss wall climbing for you. You kinda  _owe_  me, Shadow Boy." You state, half sarcastically because  _damn_  you really wanna spend more time gazing into those mahogany (you've decided) hues.  
  
This makes him chuckle a little, and you feel internally triumphant.  
  
The quiet makes you realise you're in front of the Hades cabin and Nico steps in front of the door. "I can't judge." He says. "I purposefully miss half my classes anyway."  
  
Not wanting to prolong your stay, you look over your shoulder with plans to go back to your cabin. When you turn your head back around, it looks like Nico is about to say something.  
  
You can't help but smile at the crimson that flushes those freckled cheeks of his as he stumbles over his words, "It . . . was nice talking to you."  
  
While you're slightly disappointed he didn't invite you inside, your happiness nevertheless intensifies as you reply, "I enjoyed your company too! Let me know when you're free."  
  
"See you around, _Name_."  
  
" **Arrivederci**  . . ."  
  
He closes the door.  
  
". . .  **mio amore**." (7) you say, a lot quieter.  
  
_Wow, _Name_. Dramatic much?_

*    *    *

It obviously goes without saying that you and Nico became closer friends after that day.  
  
It took the idiot, like, three months and a lot of begging to let you hang out at his cabin. Technically, he didn't invite you, but you doubted he was gonna complain when you brought a bunch of Disney DVDs to binge. Since you do live under the camp's protective barrier that sometimes makes your Netflix act up, you brought along the DVDs your mortal parent gave you the last time you visited home.  
  
Gods, come to think of it, you hadn't seen them in quite some time. While you definitely love Camp Half-Blood and feel at home here, you do still miss your human family. You were luckier than most demigods; your mortal parent wasn't mentally disturbed or neglecting, nor were they dead. You felt bad because that was the tragic situation Nico was in. He didn't even tell you himself — you just heard around the camp about his dead mother and older sister. Your moral conscience as well as heart went out for this boy as he exudes far more pain than he lets on.  
  
As you look at him now, you smile with such intense affection that you weren't even aware you had. He's gazing, with rapt attention, at the current film (Mulan). His dark eyes are wide, sparkling almost, and his legs are crossed like a toddler's. You're not sure if he's done it consciously or not, but he's begun to lean his head on your shoulder, sending pleasant shivers down your spine. Despite your great desire to lean your head next to his, you keep still. Your crush on Nico has only increased in fervour over the past few months and you've tried harder to suppress it. One of your reasons was the fact that you didn't even know if he was into guys. As far as you knew, he hadn't been in a relationship, at least not with anyone in camp. You felt rude asking others about his sexuality so you opted to wait until he was comfortable to tell you himself.   
  
Perhaps, if you mention sexuality, he would speak up about his.  
  
It definitely wouldn't hurt to try.  
  
"Did you know that a lot of people think Li Shang could have been bisexual?" You casually say, eyes still focused on the screen.  
  
Nico shifts his head a little. "Really?" he asks, surprised.  
  
_Not much of a reaction._  
  
"Well, yeah." You reply, matter-of-fact. "When he thought Mulan was a boy, he looked at her the same way he did after he learnt she was a girl."  
  
Monotonously, Nico says, "Makes sense."  
  
He doesn't seem as if he's about to continue, so you add, "It's annoying, though, because they removed him from the live action movie. It seems they did it because so many thought he was bi. You know how Disney has homophobic tendencies."  
  
Your crush replies with a hum.  
  
"Like, what do we have to do to get some LGBT+ rep around here?" You huff, now starting to voice your opinion. "We're not all gay white people with brightly dyed hair, d'you get what I mean?"  
  
At this, Nico stirs. Slowly, his head rises from your shoulder. He turns to fully look at you and you hesitantly return the eye contact. The brunette doesn't blink. He stares into your eyes and all of a sudden, you feel self-conscious and nervous under his scrutiny.

"_Name_." He begins, painfully slowly.  
  
_Gods, is he finally going to—_  
  
"Are you gay?" he deadpans, but there's no humour in his voice whatsoever.  
  
You clear your throat awkwardly. "Yeah, I may or may not be confessing that I am indeed romantically and sexually attracted to males."  _Now you're rambling again, idiot._    
  
Once again, Nico exhibits no emotion. He opens his mouth as if to say something, then closes it again, deliberating what he has to say. Sensing his increased nerves, you shyly ask, "Are you . . . gay as well? Or bi?"  
  
He gulps and glances back at the film for a second before turning to you. "Yeah, the former."  
  
You nod reassuringly. "That felt super relieving, right?"  
  
There's a faint smile blossoming on his face and he settles back in his position leaning on you. In Nico's case, this feels like a huge affectionate milestone. You're pleased he feels this safe around you. Out of nowhere, you begin developing a surge of confidence. You're about to suppress it again but your loud mouth outruns your brain.  
  
"I also want to confess . . . something else." Heaving a huge breath, you look down at him.   
  
Your tone is serious, but Nico does nothing. Sighing, you move back. Sensing your sudden movement, Nico lifts his head and changes his seating position so he's facing you. Confusion paints his features as he tilts his head.  
  
"Nico, I . . ." Your hand trails up your arm and you look down, your fear heightening. " . . . have to tell you something important."  
  
The boy opposite you remains still but urges you to continue. "Go ahead."  
  
"Well, obviously, you now know I'm gay." Nico nods, not sure where you're going. "Since I like guys, there's one in particular that I'm kinda sorta crushing  _really hard_  on . . ."  
  
You straighten your back and make direct eye contact with him, to prevent any doubt.  
  
_Fuck, I really didn't plan this far._  
  
"The guy is you, Nico." You release a heavy breath you weren't aware you were holding. "I have this huge crush on  _you_."  
  
The atmosphere thickens, almost suffocating. Nico's pupils are blown wide, leaving a ring of the mahogany you've grown obsessed with. Hesitantly, you move a little closer to him to gauge his reaction fully.  
  
However, he instinctively moves back, almost defensively. His expression doesn't change. There's a sharp ache where your heart is and hurt is evident on your expression. He just moved further from you.   
  
_He obviously doesn't like you.  
  
You've ruined the friendship.   
  
Great fucking going, idiot.  
  
_ "Are you sure?" Nico shakily queries, snapping you out of it.  
  
Without hesitation, you assure him. "Of course I am. I've had these feelings for the past few months. Shit, probably longer." Your eyes flicker from his face to his hands. Gingerly, you grasp them and bring them closer to you.  
  
He is completely speechless and emits no response.  
  
Staring directly into his eyes, you confess, "Nico di Angelo." You nervously chuckle, trying to relax the atmosphere. "You're basically the coolest person I know. You're absolutely beautiful and every action of yours enthrals me. I've felt like this ever since I first met you but never said anything because, quite frankly, I didn't know if you would like me back. Fuck, I didn't even know if you liked the same gender. Besides, we developed such a close friendship that I didn't want to ruin with my annoying feelings. I've seen sides of you that you clearly hide from the rest of the world and I've grown so attached I genuinely can't imagine my average day without you."  
  
You note how Nico hasn't taken his hands back. His eyes and yours are locked together and his gaze is filled with awe.  
  
"So, what I'm trying to say, Shadow Boy . . ."  
  
Unconsciously, he moves closer to you.  
  
"I really,  _really_  fucking like you."  
  
There's a silence. You search for any sort of reaction from him but he is perfectly still. You're about to let go of his hands until he abruptly tugs you against him.  
  
Bewildered, you're about to splutter. But Nico promptly shuts you up with a full-on kiss. His soft lips are pressed against yours, your breath is lost and  _oh gods_ , this feels ethereal. However, it ends as quickly as it starts. Nico pulls away and pants a little, clearly surprised even with himself. You quickly pull him back, though, your hands flying to cup his cheeks. Your heart is racing a mile a minute as you feel his arms wrap around your torso, almost nervously. Is this real? Are you even breathing? You honestly couldn't give less of a shit because  _holy shit Nico di fUcKiNg Angelo is making out with you right now._  
  
Thankfully, he shows no signs of pulling away and his face remains steadfast in your hands. This is your first kiss and honestly you wouldn't have it any other way, albeit it was on the cold wooden floor of the Hades' cabin.  
  
Reluctantly, you pull away to catch some fresh air. You breathe heavily, your face feeling extremely hot. Judging by Nico's dark, flushed cheeks and slightly puffy lips, the feeling's reciprocated.   
  
Said boy gulps while his chest rises and falls rapidly. "I . . . really like you too, _Name_." He whispers against your lips, his warm breath fanning onto your face.  
  
Just hearing him verbally admit it sends your heart vehemently aflutter. It's overwhelming how much of an effect this boy has on you; you can't stop the huge smile that adorns your features and lights up your face. Pretty soon, the two of you rise from your sitting positions and step toward Nico's bed. His fingers knot themselves into your hair while your hands rest around his waist. Your lips find his, ravaging his mouth as if it's your sole source of nourishment. Now right up against the edge of his bed, he can't help but fall backward onto the soft mattress. Almost as if in a trance, you wordlessly stumble on top of him, your hands placed on either side of his chest.  
  
Seeing him underneath you like this, eyes half-lidded and pupils blown wide, does something inexplicable to your insides. Black tresses frame his head like a halo, fanned out against the pillow. The way he's gazing at you; like you're the only vision he sees, like you're the only one who matters. The look in his eyes alone sets your insides aggressively aflame.   
  
You could get used to this.  
  
Without hesitation, you attack his tinted face with fervent kisses. This makes Nico giggle, a very pleasant sound that you've never heard from him before. Your lips trail from his jaw to his neck, leaving tingles along the way. Once you reach a certain point on the junction of his collarbone and throat, you rest your lips on there for longer. Slowly, you graze your teeth across the spot. Unexpectedly, Nico's breath hitches and an almost moan escapes his lips. This eggs you on  _—_ you want an  _actual_  moan from the brunette. You attach your mouth to his skin and gently suck, determined to leave an angrily conspicuous hickey. Almost immediately, a pathetically erotic moan sounds in your ear and you smirk against the Italian's neck.  
  
"Could you make that noise again for me, baby?" You purr into his ear, your hand wandering under his t-shirt. "Just a little louder?"  
  
You tug at the hem of his cumbersome garment. Luckily, Nico catches your drift and lifts himself up so you can completely remove it. Your eyes widen at the sight of his bare chest, your confidence temporarily slipping. While you were admiring how beautiful he was, Nico grows embarrassed and looks away.  
  
"Please don't stare . . ." he murmurs quietly.   
  
To ease his nerves, you run your hands up and down his waist as your lips wander down his chest. His skin is so irresistibly soft  _—_ you momentarily wonder what moisturiser he uses.  _Probably the blood of his enemies._  
  
All your senses are overridden with him; your bodies pressed close together, his laboured breathing blessing your ears, your lips worshipping every inch of his skin. It's so fucking intoxicating. You were an addict and he was your beloved substance. Somewhere in the back of your mind, you thank the gods for allowing this miracle to take place, specifically Aphrodite.   
  
" _Ngh_ —" Nico's breathing quickens and he manages a sound between a croak and a muffled groan. These noises encourage you to continue bestowing even more pleasure to your cute demigod.  
  
_Your_  demigod.  
  
_Oh my gods._  
  
_This means he's mine, right?  
  
_Fuck, you got so caught up trying to claim Nico as yours, it completely slipped your mind to ask if actually  _wanted_ to be yours. Yeah, he admitted his feelings to you, but he didn't confirm a relationship. If anything, he could be seeing this current situation as a quick way to get off. You pray it's nothing like that—  
  
"Hey, _Name_." Nico's gentle but concerned tone snaps you out of your reverie. "Are you okay? Why'd you stop?"  
  
You lift your head and make eye contact with him. You didn't realise that, while you were spacing out, you stopped paying close attention to tugging his lower garments down. The sudden realisation of what you were doing sets in and your face becomes searingly hot.  
  
"I . . ." You blink a couple times, a little dazed. Gulping, you decide to ask him the exact question which caused your trance.   
  
Before you open your mouth, panic flares up in Nico's eyes. "Do you not wanna do this?" His search your eyes for an answer.  
  
Scrunching your eyebrows together, your hands surge to his face reassuringly. "Of course I want to do this, Nico. I've, admittedly, wanted to do this for a while. I was just . . . wondering if it means that . . ."  
  
His gaze remains locked with yours, waiting patiently for you to continue.  
  
". . . we're in a relationship now." You nervously state. "Like, boyfriends?"  
  
With an incredulous expression on his face, his mouth forms a perfect 'o'. His adjusts his head on the pillow, becoming fully serious. "_Name_,  **dolcezza**. . ." (8) He plants a loving kiss on your lips, fuelling as much passion as he can. "It goes without saying we're dating now."  
  
Releasing a breath you weren't aware you were holding, relief washes over you. You laugh lightly, running your fingers through your hair. Nico shares your laughter, clearly so surprised you would even question that.  
  
"How did you doubt it even for a  _second_ —" He begins, worry laced into his tone.  
  
Your lips emit a 'pffft' sound as your drop back, hovering above Nico's face. "This entire predicament" — he chuckles at your choice of words — "is still super surreal and I just second-guessed myself, you know?" Fingers brushing along his cheek, you sigh. "Even now, I'm slightly worried you'll disappear if I press too hard, like an annoying demigod dream."  
  
Immediately, he leans into your touch, smiling warmly. The light dancing in his eyes squashes any qualms you previously had. How could such an ethereal being like him exist?  
  
"I'm not going anywhere," his hands firmly rest on your back, clinging onto you. "don't worry."  
  
You have no clue what you did in a past life to deserve this angel, but damn you were euphoric he blessed you with his presence.  
  
Slowly, your cockiness creeps back into your system. "In that case, Shadow Boy," you sensually hum, your lips wandering down Nico's half-naked body. Your hair is now the victim of his vice-like grip, his breath getting caught up in his throat.  
  
" . . .  _hang on tight_."

**Author's Note:**

> (1) — are you italian?  
> (2) — you speak italian?  
> (3) — and yes. i am  
> (4) — i know some. the apartment block i grew up in had a lot of italians  
> (5) — thanks  
> (6) — maybe? . . . of course  
> (7) — goodbye . . . my love  
> (8) — affectionate term for a loved one; 'sweetness', 'honey', etc
> 
>  
> 
> shoutout to the super cool @lilacstarlights for not only being my beta reader, but helping me with the summary ;)))


End file.
